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INNEAPOLIS - It didn't look like it in the end, but Minnesota gave Ohio State a better fight last night than, say, Indiana or Purdue.

INNEAPOLIS - It didn't look like it in the end, but Minnesota gave Ohio State a better fight last night than, say, Indiana or Purdue.

That's not much of a rallying cry. But at least the Golden Gophers made the Buckeyes work a bit, hitting some long throws early and keeping it mildly interesting into the second half.

This being the Land of 10,000 Losses, though, perhaps it was inevitable that Minnesota would eventually collapse. The Gophers defense was as porous as advertised, and that unit made more than enough mistakes to allow the Buckeyes to pull away and win handily 52-10.

It was the eighth straight loss for Minnesota (1-8, 0-5 Big Ten).

For Ohio State (8-1, 4-1), quarterback Terrelle Pryor completed 18 of 22 passes for 222 yards, throwing for two touchdowns (against one interception) and running for another.

Tailback Daniel Herron recorded his first career 100-yard rushing day (114 and a TD).

"That was very meaningful for me," Herron said. "I didn't know until after the game, but it feels great."

Linebacker Brian Rolle had 1 sacks and a fumble recovery, and Zach Domicone recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for Ohio State's first special-teams score of the season.

Overall, the Buckeyes rolled up 507 yards.

"Offensively, we played well from the start," Pryor said, "and we needed that start, especially away. We haven't played very well away from home, and we really needed this game to start off quick."

Coupled with Iowa's win over Michigan State earlier in the day, it brightened Ohio State's chances of gaining at least a share of its sixth straight Big Ten title.

The Buckeyes, ranked 11th in the Bowl Championship Series standings, are one of four teams with one conference loss. They have a bye this weekend.

"We'll make great use of this week," coach Jim Tressel said. "Get some guys healthy and look and see where we've got to get better."

The TCF Bank Stadium crowd didn't seem to mind what was happening on the field. The mostly young fans, many of them in Halloween costumes, spent the evening dancing to the music during breaks.

Early on, Gophers quarterback Adam Weber did what no one else has successfully done against Ohio State this season - consistently test the Buckeyes with downfield passing.

Weber's first three passes each were complete for 30-plus yards. It was 7-7 at one point.

Trailing 17-7 in the second quarter, Minnesota still had life. It appeared Ohio State's Jordan Hall would run a punt back for a score, but after a 70-yard return, he was caught at the Gophers' 2-yard line. On the next play, Pryor was intercepted in the end zone.

The Buckeyes then scored 14 points in the final minutes of the half and appeared to break it open. Herron found huge gaps in the Gophers defense, running six times for 62 yards on a drive that he finished off with a 10-yard TD run.

With 43 seconds left in the half, the Buckeyes called timeout to force the Gophers to punt. It paid off. Dan Orseske shanked the kick, which traveled 10 yards to the Gophers 47.

Two plays later, Pryor lofted a pass deep down the right sideline to DeVier Posey for a 38-yard touchdown catch. That made it 31-7 at halftime.

"If we can hit a couple plays at the end of the half and make something happen, that can be huge," Tressel said.

The Gophers had one last gasp. They opened the second half by driving for a field goal. Ohio State answered with a drive, but it stalled, and kicker Devin Barclay bounced a 21-yard field-goal try off the left upright.

It was 31-10 with 6:16 left in the third period, and the Buckeyes starters had to stay in the game.

But that proved to be all the Gophers had. Minnesota snapper Jake Filkins skipped a short-hopper to Orseske. Jonathan Newsome blocked it, and Domicone recovered the ball in the end zone for a TD and 38-10 lead.

The Buckeyes then stretched their legs toward the end. A Hall 16-yard run and John Simon's 30-yard fumble return accounted for the final two scores.

Weber finished with 162 yards passing, but completed only 9 of 20 throws.

kgordon@dispatch.com

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